On the Battlefield, Under the Stars
by TarunaRei
Summary: GNxOC-She regained herself and slowly started walking back to the marketplace for armor and a horse. For if she was to have pride, she’d find it on the battlefield...but somewhere else, He was leaving the battlefield, ignoring the empty feeling inside him
1. Prologue: Motivations

A/N: Hello all, again. This one has been sitting on my computer for a while, and upon reading another *wonderful* DW fanfic, Slow Time, I finally decided to at least upload the prologue. Hopefully it'll motivate me to write more again~! I really like the last few things I wrote, so I hope I can keep it up --;

Somenotes-if you read other OC fanfics for DW, then they also probably have to do with women being oppressed, etc. but that's how it actually was back then-so kill me for using the idea again. (plus, I like it anyway) and you'll notice the name Tao Rei...that doesnt sound familiar at ALL to Taruna Rei XD; Again, I apologize, but I really do like writing all my stories with only two OC names.

Please enjoy the prologue and tell me what you think so far~!

* * *

"Die!" The little boy thrust his small stick. In return, the girl laughed and darted to the side. Both of them feinted and stabbed their makeshift swords, and giggled in the heated afternoon. The sun was high in the sky, and the air just as dry as the sand beneath their feet. Eventually, one of them finally gave out and dropped under a shaded tree. The other quickly joined.

"Hey, do you think we'll ever become real soldiers?" the girl asked after a few minutes of catching their breaths. The boy cocked his head, still staring at the clear sky,

"Well, of course. What else are we training for?" The girl thought about it for a moment,

"Then, let's make a promise."

"Huh? What?"

"When we get into the army, let's stick together and-,"

"Where are you?! You know you have chores to do!" The girl was interrupted,

"Oh, my mom's calling me," she jumped up, then turned her head to look the boy in the face, "but promise, ok?" The other child sat up,

"Promise," he smiled.

The girl smiled back before running to her mother.

* * *

Tao Rei lifted her hand over her face. She squinted her eyes against the slits of light shining through her fingers. That day was just as sunny as it was today, years later when she could comprehend what real fighting was. Especially the fact that only the best of the best female warriors were even allowed onto the battlefield. Sighing loudly, Tao Rei lifted herself from the cold stone road and began to walk among the crowded market street.

She couldn't even recall the boy's name or face anymore. The woman could only recall how close she felt to him. Sighing again, Rei settled her gaze on a stall with various weapons on display. She stopped to finger the tip of a spear when the shop owner noticed her. Striding over, a curious look on his face, asked,

"Shopping for your husband, ma'am?" Tao Rei looked up and strongly shook her head,

"Oh, no. I was merely curious."

"Hahaha," the round man let out a hearty laugh, "Women needn't be concerned with such things. You should be picking up vegetables, am I right?"

"No…"

"Ah, then treating yourself to new clothes maybe? Trying to get yourself hitched to a wealthy landowner?"

"I'm sorry, I must be leaving," She rushed away before anything else could follow her statement. Darting through the people, Tao Rei escaped the sight of the confused shop owner, and rested in a cool back alley. Regaining her strength and composure, she looked to the sky. This was why she had to join the war.

She had to be a soldier not only because of that fond memory, but because of the sexist remarks. The boring and loathsome house life. The undermining of her intelligence. The being of use only in one's beauty-and if one could bare a healthy child. How was a woman to have pride in a world like this?

Tao Rei regained herself and slowly started walking back to the marketplace for armor and a horse. For if she was to have pride, she'd find it on the battlefield.

* * *

The blood curdling screams riding on the wind, the adrenaline pumping through his veins-this was what made Gan Ning feel alive. His blade drove into the unfortunate man on his right, and the other dagger cutting three in one blow on his left. The familiar chaos and heightened senses was home to him. This was what he knew.

So he continued being good at what he knew late into the afternoon. Invaders were running in from some force unknown to him and attacking his master, Huang Zu. Not that he had particular loyalty to Huang Zu, it's just where his want for battle led him.

Gan Ning's enjoyment was cut short when he realized that the enemy had retreated, many of them screaming about the sound of bells. The battleground was masked with bodies and limp spears, the darkening sky painting hues of yellows and reds across them. As quickly as the battle had started, it ended in a strange kind of calm. Flicking blood off his daggers, one of Huang Zu's many wives approached Gan Ning without fear.

"Was there something you wanted?" the ex-pirate growled. He had expected to at least brawl for another hundred or so men.

"You are quite the admirable warrior, Master Xingba. There is no doubt that you are gifted in combat. For a man such as you, even this one sided fight must be leaving you unsatisfied."

"Ha," Gan Ning laughed, "It's not that the other guys were too weak, it's just I was too strong!"

"So you _are_ upset despite our victory," the woman stated. The other merely glared at her. She slowly walked closer to him. "Let me presume that, other than when you're on the battle field, you feel…bored; maybe so far as to say _empty_-." She slightly gasped at the abrupt sharp, stained blade at her throat.

"Don't ever presume something like that about me," Gan Ning said in clenched teeth. The opposed woman wanted to rebuttal, to push this dumb warrior into a state of complete annoyance, but was only able to train her eyes on the intensity of the other's. While she noticed the reappearance and disappearance of the smog formed by her breath on the pointed steel under her chin, it occurred to the lady that she chose the wrong man to play mind games with. The tough fighter finally withdrew his weapon and started to walk back towards the castle when he let out a venomous warning, "Next time we talk will be your last." The frightened girl only managed to stare at the retreating figure.

Gan Ning felt right when he was fighting. He felt like fighting was his purpose. Fighting was the one thing he knew all about. So now that he had to head back to his 'master' and wait until the next foolish leader came knocking on their door, he was feeling peeved.

He didn't need anyone to tell him about the emptiness he felt when leaving the battlefield, especially not some woman.

* * *

R&R~! cause if Im doin somethin wrong, Id love to know~ |D


	2. Laddle and Pot in Hand

A/N: Ah..haha, anyway, here's the real first chapter. It took a while to write because I had a certain point I wanted to write up to, but by the time I finished it to that point, I realized that the chapter was WAY too long for any sane person to want to read. XDD; So, I ended up cutting it somewhere in between. Ended up for the better though~

If the plot seems slow, please, stick with me. I plan to speed it up like crazy soon to keep it interesting. OH....and sorry...there's no GN in this one...(why are you apoligizing? The only person really sad about it is you) Also trying to keep it somewhat historically accurate, but I'll probably end up changing events around sometime so that its interesting |D;

Have fun reading~

* * *

Sun Jian walked among his loyal soldiers, all of them bowing as he passed. He honestly didn't mind if they just briefly nodded in his wake-but this didn't hurt. With an ever present confident smile, he made his way through the vast campsite. Although the Wu leader already had a good pick of men in his service, he didn't have many. (At least, not after the battle of Si Sui Gate, he cursed.) The menace Dong Zhuo was still upon them, meaning he would need battle power. Not to mention, the vision he had for afterwards…

Sun Jian's thoughts were cut short as he heard a small argument stirring. Noticing his eldest son also perceiving it at the same time, the two approached the source.

"Are you jesting? This is a civil war!"

"Yes, and I strongly think I could be an asset."

"This is no place for someone like you! Please take your leave!" Sun Ce lifted a cotton flap to reveal one of their officers and at his feet, a woman was kneeling. Both of their heads jerked to them in surprise.

"Lord Sun Jian!" the officer gasped. Sun Jian's eyes wandered to the girl and the man hurriedly explained in a furious tone, "This woman insists on joining our ranks. The idea is ridiculous! Could you please-,"

"Lord Sun Jian," the girl stole his attention, "I swear to you that my intentions are pure-I mean only to prove myself in battle."

"You wench! How dare you-!"

"Enough!" Sun Jian bellowed. Again, the two apposing sides just watched with round eyes. Silence slowly filled the air. The elder warrior regressed back to his thoughts. He did not think it was impossible for a woman to be on the battlefield-in fact, it was sometimes a very normal sight to be seen from the married wives of his more trusted officers. "What," he looked directly at the girl's face, "is your name and reason for wanting to fight?"

"Tao Rei, and I wish to prove that I have more purpose than to quietly raise children," the girl's eyes beamed with the kind of aggressive determination of a tiger. The man, slightly impressed but slightly bothered, wasn't sure.

"Ce," he turned to the man beside him, "What do you think?" Sun Ce was a little taken back from the sudden question.

"Well, if she wants to join so badly, then we could probably find a use for her somewhere," he paused and then laughed, "Besides, I don't think sis would be very pleased to hear we turned down a willing warrior just on account of her being a woman." His father grinned at the reply,

"Alright, then I'll leave her to you, Ce." Watching his father leave, Sun Ce then turned to the flabbergasted officer in front of him. The general noticed, and in embarrassment, quickly bade his goodbye. Tao Rei nervously stood up, keeping her head tipped down,

"Thank you, Lord Sun Ce."

The proud son of Sun Jian had to admit, once you overcame the initial shock, that this woman had to have guts and determination to just come up and ask to join in a conflict. Whatever the sex, anyone with those two qualities was welcomed. However, she was obviously lacking in experience in the art of war and a little rough around the edges. But, with a little bit of Wu training and luck, she could be a decent soldier… "Ha, you can thank me later," he lifted the flap once again, "First, let's figure out what you can do around here…"

* * *

"Kitchen duty?" Tao Rei asked with a little more disappointment than she had hoped to leak.

"You say it as if it's a bad thing," Sun Ce ignored it and moved on, gesturing widely to the scarcely filled tent, "Look at this tent! Our entire army eats from here. The food served here gives strength to our men for the battlefield, ranking from our lowest soldiers to our highest generals. This is a great privilege to be in charge of our army's only source of nourishment!" Tao was surprised at the sudden pride that the man had in his voice. She knew he was trying to make serving up sloppy rice dishes and stirring through foul smelling pots sound like an honorable duty, but he also had a point. Rapidly feeling ashamed, her face slightly flustered and she bowed her head to Sun Ce again,

"I-I'm very sorry," she rose again, "I will do my best."

"Glad to hear it. Well, the head of the kitchen will tell you your duties. Good luck!" the officer chuckled to himself for a moment before leaving the woman behind. Did that chuckle mean something bad? Tao Rei observed his retreat and suddenly felt exposed. Nervously glancing around, she realized how alone she was in such a mass army camp. Eyebrows slightly furrowed, she escaped behind a flap and into the kitchen. Almost instantly, she clashed into a wall of meat.

"Hey, watch it," this wall of meat said, rubbing the back of their head. Tao glanced up at a man looking a bit upset. From the sight of it, he didn't seem to be a normal recruit. Maybe even a general.

"I'm sorry," she hurriedly apologized. The man looked down on her, most likely taking notice of her feminine form. "I was sent here to work…?"

"Hm? Are you sure you're not lost?"

"Oh, no, Master Sun Ce sent me here. He said the one in charge would settle me in."

"_Sigh_,...I guess I should've expected this. _Leaving ME to be in charge of the newbie…_," he said in more of a low mumble. Just because he stole a _tad bit _of food from the reserves, they assigned him to kitchen duty; seemed a little extravagant to him. "What's your name?"

"Tao Rei."

"Ling Tong, styled Gongji. Nice to meet you."

"S-Same here," Rei bowed. After another awkward pause, Ling Tong scanned over the desolate kitchen.

"You know now to cook, right? The bulk of the army will be arriving in a little while. We should probably get started, 'cause by the time they get here-we won't have nearly enough food," he went to the back of the room, "You can start making tons of rice. I'll go get the rest." The girl, being left once again, sighed loudly.

_Be patient_, she told herself, _these things can not be rushed. But still…_Recognizing what had to be done, Tao Rei dragged her feet across the floor to start her long journey, ladle and pot in hand.

* * *

"You-You weren't kidding, Master Gongji!" Tao balanced half her weight in rice, scrambling across the room.

"Ha! Wait until you see Huang Gai return from his trip!" Tong bitterly laughed as he gave one of the servants a platter of a whole roasted pig. Rei was slightly afraid to watch the woman barely totter the plate out the door.

"Hand it here!" another person next to her beckoned. Transferring containers, she couldn't believe how busy everyone was. It was as if they had their own beat, as Ling Tong effortlessly directed the flock of women. To think she underestimated the assignment bestowed upon her by Sun Ce.

* * *

"I'll let you finish up," the only other remaining kitchen worker called.

"Alright, please have a good rest," Tao Rei smiled as she watched the other dismiss herself and squeeze out the door. As soon as the sound of her footsteps dimmed, Rei let out a sigh as her shoulders slumped. "This was much more tiring than I had imagined. I should've expected I'd be doing something more suited for women like this, but...haha," she laughed and continued scrubbing down the pot in her hands, "I guess I thought of every other situation but this. I was even thinking of something like a duel to the death to show my skills and my opponent...? Haha, it'd be something like Lord Sun Ce."

"Would you rather of done something like that?"

"Ah!" the girl dropped the dish. The sound made a sharp noise that made Ling Tong slightly cringe. "N-no! I am perfectly happy with my position...!" She fell quiet and averted her eyes to the mess at her feet. Realizing it, she dropped to pick it up and resumed her work. Tong rested a hand on his hip and scanned the makeshift, and now very dirty, kitchen. During the rush of Huang Gai's victory party, his father had dragged him out of the kitchen and into the festivities, thus explaining his absence from the cleanup crew and the searing headache he now had. His feeling of guilt outweighed the pain, so he returned to finish up whatever he could. He hadn't expected the presence of only one person, though. Especially not when there was so much to clean up...

"You're the only one left?" he turned to the nearest counter covered in sloppy food leftovers.

"I suppose. I don't mind."

"From what I just heard, sounds like you'd rather be fighting."

"Well...Yes," she reluctantly replied. The awkward silence made another return while the sound of their joint cleaning effort attempted to ease the situation. This attempt failed and the thick atmosphere continued to consume the two. The man realized this as he thought about how unlike it was of him to be stuck in a situation like this.

"_Sigh, _Hey," Ling Tong suddenly called. Rei jumped and juggled the wet rag he tossed at her. "You'll get done faster with that… Uh, sorry I abandoned you guys halfway. My father can be a real party guy. If he hadn't dragged me away, there wouldn't be so much to clean up," Ling Tong bitterly glared at the pile that accumulated beside the girl. Tao Rei stood with her mouth open, not sure what was going on, but when Tong slightly smirked at her, she smiled back. _Ah, so he was trying to be friendly. _

"Haha, isn't that how fathers are? My father also made me do some of the most embarrassing things."

"Like what? Can't be worse than your father voicing his concerns as to whether you were intellectual enough to hold a weapon in one hand and a horse's reign in the other"

"Ah, well, one time my father...," Rei continued to elaborate on the funny events in her childhood.

Despite the exhausting rush of the day, she already felt like she was feeling at home. Her face slowly showed it when the young general jump smirked at her jokes and rebutted with his own stories. As she heard more about him, and on tangent, about the other generals, the more she felt drawn to the boisterous men mentioned in his tales.

Yes, she could definitely come to love the force of Wu.


	3. Don't be Left With a Princess

The next weeks flew by quick and launched the Wu army into an autumn full of yellowing leaves and strong winds. The massive militia force continued to fight and continued to consume the food served up by the comparatively small amount of servants orchestrated by Ling Tong. Although all the cooks and servants finally moved back to a nearby city claimed as the temporary home base, they still had to do rigorously tiring work. This group, of course, included Tao Rei. In between serving up dishes and scrubbing down plates, her and Ling Tong exchanged pleasant conversations, occasionally teased each other, and became overall good friends in the short span of time. So when the two were heading back to the exclusive kitchen via training grounds, she decided that her new friend needed to know a truth she recently discovered-even if she did selfishly hold it back for a few days.

"Gongji," she said, lugging a rather large basket of fruit, "I think you need to know the truth." Tong raised an eyebrow, hands still resting behind his head. "Um, I overheard someone talking about you the other day." _What? Rumors? _The thought concerned him. "Apparently…," she trailed off, and reverted her eyes back to the shuffling of her feet through the short grass.

"….Yeah?"

"Your…," her eyes suddenly lit up and looked straight at him, "Your kitchen duty was over a long time ago. I guess someone must've thought it'd be funny not to tell you." Tong was completely caught off guard-or more like, his guard was up to defend himself from any horrible gossip-that he just stopped in his tracks, dumbly staring at the girl in front of him. "Gongji…?" Rei tipped her head.

"Geez, Tao Rei," he let his arms slide to his side and his shoulders drop, "Don't freak me out like that! I thought you were going to say something like 'Apparently, Lady Sun Shang Xiang doesn't like you very much, so Lord Sun Quan is going to get you executed'." He nervously laughed, the scare not quite leaving him yet.

"Oh, I wouldn't send my brother's men to do it-I'd just come do it myself." A cold front passed through the man's body and he immediately jumped next to Rei. The two bowed. Tong, quicker than her, tried to explain himself to the Sun Shang Xiang that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Rei noticed her approach, but didn't mention anything due to the fact that she didn't know her companion was going to blurt something like that. As Ling Tong profusely apologized, with some obvious fear of the princess, Rei realized she wasn't the only one chuckling at him.

"I-I mean, not that you'd do anything like…Well, No, I mean-,"

"Haha, it's fine Ling Tong. I'm glad to know that I hold a…high office with you," Shang Xiang laughed. The man simply scratched the back of his neck in shame. "Anyway, in all seriousness, I came to tell you that your kitchen work was done, but it seems someone beat me to it," She glanced at the other girl, "Since you're now free, my brother would like you to join him and the others inside for a campaign meeting."

"Finally," he exasperated, "My talents never did rest in cooking. Tao Rei, I'll let you control what goes on from now on in that kitchen-think of it as a promotion." He grinned and rushed off. Rei couldn't help but to feel gloomy at his sudden rush to his real duties, but she knew it was going to happen sooner than later.

"You seem sad about him leaving-you two must've gotten close, huh?" Sun Shang Xiang teased.

"W-well, yes, you could say, but I knew it was going to happen," she continued to watch the man's retreating figure. The older woman eyed her curiously, with a hand on her waist and the other on her chin.

"Then…ah!" Shang Xiang perked up, "YOU'RE Tao Rei." The other girl ignored the fact that yes; Ling Tong _did_ just call her that didn't he? "Yes, my brother mentioned you a little while ago. That longing look in your eyes isn't for HIM, but for the battlefield, right?" Rei just smiled and let the other continue. "I've been meaning to see you! When I heard there was a willing woman to take up arms and fight, I felt like I needed to see this person and her skills for myself."

"I feel honored, Lady Sun Shang Xiang."

"So how about right now? What do you normally fight with?" the woman inspected the busy training grounds around her. _Right now!?_ Tao Rei's frightened face only looked ahead in horror as she sputtered,

"S-Something like a long spear-"

"Hey! You over there!" a startled soldier that so happened to be walking near the weapons rack froze, "Hand me two spears!" The man rushed and ran over while tottering the two weapons awkwardly in front of him. As he knelt and held them out, Shang Xiang grinned and tossed one to Rei, which caused her to drop her basket. Some of the fruit escaped onto the packed dirt and scattered around her feet. "Tao Rei, I want you to come at me with everything you have, alright?" Rei gulped and shakily held the spear.

"Alright," she nodded, but her insides were saying otherwise.

_

* * *

_

A young ex-pirate was feeling the same twisted up stomach as he sat staring out the large balcony of his lord's castle. _His Lord_, he bitterly thought, _should have more respect for someone like me. I bet he doesn't even know what the hell he's doing. _Gan Ning furrowed his eyebrows in discontent with the gloomy clouds hanging above the city. No leak of sunlight touched down anywhere on the ornate roofs below him or the empty market street to the north. Not even a stray cat caught lounging under a bench.

"This kind of weather…" he frowned, "I don't like it."

"You never were the type to sit and watch the rain come," his friend commented. Su Fei stood off to the side and watched the grey swell of clouds move.

"Ha, you got that right," Gan Ning mocked. Su Fei, on the other hand, was perfectly content with the temporary peace.

"I guess this is what you call 'the peace before the storm'."

"What do you mean?" he looked at Su Fei, "There some massive army moving towards us?"

"You seem too eager, my friend. But yes, it seems that Lord Liu Biao fears the little conqueror and has sent Lord Huang Zu and us to meet the Wu army at Shaxian. The son of the tiger must want revenge for his father, anyway. This battle is bound to happen."

"Ha, Huang Zu will probably blame it on me again. He already hates my guts and says it's my fault that we lost against them earlier. Wait until he sees us WIN and blame me for all the men we lost for it-HA," Gan Ning harshly laughed.

"Master Xingba, you shouldn't speak so bad of our lord…You don't know who could be listening. You could get beheaded for that kind of behavior," Su Fei nervously took a quick look around the large terrace. Remembering that this kind of thing happened often and just recently, Gan Ning left his perch and strode to the door. "Perhaps things will get better. Just be patient. Let's see if Lord Huang Zu changes his mind after the next battle when he sees you fighting exceptionally well." Patting Su Fei on the shoulder as he passed him, Gan Ning's nerves loosened up, though a resentment still lingered on his voice,

"I'll listen to you for now, but if things don't change for the better soon, I might have to do something drastic," and he left the man feeling uneasy. When Su Fei realized he was holding his breath, and let it out with a loud groan. _Even after all these years…_he turned and watched as the first raindrops fell_…he still scares me sometimes._

_

* * *

_

Lu Xun entered the spacious meeting hall to find that there were already quite a number of officers lounging around. He inwardly criticized himself for not getting there earlier, but he had just decided on a battle strategy in his quarters a mere five minutes ago. _You can't rush perfection_, he chuckled to himself. Being the humble man he was though, he didn't mean what he thought. Quickly bowing to Sun Ce and the other distinguished generals, he laid down a chart on the table.

"Oh," the boy raised his head at the echo of familiar footsteps, "Nice of you to join us, Ling Tong."

"Ha, you were probably the one that decided not to tell me when my time was up," he sarcastically glared and took his seat at the long table.

"What, you didn't have fun? Being surrounded by all those women must've been fun!" Sun Ce laughed from farther down the table. As his trusted brother in law cautioned him about his wife overhearing, Tong's head darted to his lord. _So it was you-!_

"In any case," Zhou Yu turned away from Sun Ce, "everyone, please take your seats. The strategy meeting will now be starting. Today, our concern has been addressed to the Prefect of Lujiang, Liu Xun." At this cue, Lu Xun stood up and proposed his idea, making large gestures across the map. As the strategists and other enlightened generals commented and brought up problems that would prop up, Ling Tong stole a glance at his father to his right. Feeling the stares of his son, the man questioningly looked at him.

"Sounds like it'll be an easy win, huh," Tong confidently smiled. Ling Cao knew his son to be naïve and still inexperienced, but the way his eyes sparkled were only found on the most veteran of warriors. The thought made him swell with pride inside, and one day he would tell him about it. One day when his son could surpass him. In order to resist telling him of his pride right there and then, he merely patted him on the shoulder,

"Keep that look in your eyes. Those are the kind of eyes a great warrior needs." Ling Tong nodded, but kept his warrior eyes locked on his father, even when he turned back to the meeting at hand. The man that he was intently staring down _was_ his father, yes, but that wasn't all he was.

This was the man that brought him up, and taught him as a boy the rights and wrongs of the world. Through the sick times and through the exciting times, his most cherished moments all had his supporting father right behind him. All that he was, was because of the man that was sitting in front of him, and Ling Tong would've liked nothing more than to surpass him on day. _When that day comes_, he fondly thought as he watched the same spark dance in Ling Cao's eyes, _that's when I'll look back at him and say I got it from him._

Taken by the sudden corny result, he just snickered.

* * *

A/N: Em, yup, things are-hopefully-going to speed up now! These first chapters n stuff tend to be slow --; And even though TR was only in a third of this-she IS the main character! I'll go back to centering it more on her. (but its just so fun to write about what makes the other guys tick~!)

Nfufufufu-if you know your history, then you know whats gonna come up. Thus why I felt compelled to mention LingCao~ Ill try to keep history roughly the same-but Ill prolly prolong life, etc.

…PS, Sun Jian has died by now-if you couldn't tell.

R&R muchly appreciated! 3


	4. Promotions Come in Strange Ways

"Hey, did you hear about what happened to Lady Sun Shang Xiang and how beaten up she got?"

"Oh yeah-didn't someone challenge her in the middle of the training field? Geez, what confidence some of these soldiers have now."

"It wasn't a soldier; it was one of our own food servants! Can you-oh, wait, here she comes." Tao Rei tried to pleasantly bow to the passing by noblewoman, but hung her head in shame right after. _It's nothing like that! Now everyone is looking down their nose at me…_she sighed in loud defeat for the millionth time that week and moved down the long corridor. Walking by the rich and noble every day, she discovered that they had a bad tendency to make things out of nothing. It only ended up being bad gossip that eventually leaked down into the worker quarters and made life harder for the poor victim._ I only grazed her a bit…_

Of course, that wasn't the whole story…

* * *

After the princess rushed into a first attack, Tao Rei shot her weapon up in defense. In that split second, the look on Sun Shang Xiang's face could only be described as playful, but nowhere near harmless. Perturbed with this determined face, Rei shoved the girl off and lowered her spear in an attack stance. Somewhere in between the charge and the shove, her warrior instincts kicked in. She suddenly felt all her anxieties leave her as she lunged at Sun Shang Xiang. The girl jumped up and then made a swing at Tao Rei. Dropping to the ground, a few strands of Rei's hair that was caught in the path of the blade went flying. Not that she minded much, but she cursed to herself. _It's gonna be a pain now to keep those strands out of my face…_

The gathering crowd of soldiers stared in awe at the women fighting. Despite whether they thought it was a real treat to see their princess and a kitchen lady brawl or if it was just down right inappropriate, they couldn't make a move to do anything but watch.

"I knew our Sun Shang Xiang was good, but who's the other one?"

"What-_I_ can't even do that."

"No kidding. Of course, you can't do _anything_ but poke holes in the dirt."

"You know what? I don't even care right now…" Murmurs surrounded the two fighters. In the midst of clashes of light, Rei managed to get a decent amount of beatings, but when she finally saw an opening, she went for it. In one swoop, Tao Rei's spear threw Sun Shang Xiang against the weapons rack. (Luckily, there wasn't a mesmerized passerby in the direction.) The girl coughed in surprise and pain, but not at all deterred.

_Did I do it?_ Rei paused in disbelief.

"Not bad, Tao Rei! But if-AH," Shang Xiang was cut short when she realized the frame she fell on was now toppling down on her. Daggers were shaken off their spots, arrows knocked over, and spears collapsing. She sat there in terror, only able to watch the sight of them all falling from the sky and towards her. She shrieked, but before any of them could make impact, the weapons were sent flying to the far right. Her mouth agape, she felt helpless saying, "Tao…Rei?"

Rei had saved the princess, even if not from certain death. Judging by the startled expression she had, Shang Xiang concluded that even she was surprised at herself. "Wow…what just happened….?," Sun Shang Xian rose to her feet, "but I guess what mattered is that you rescued me. Didn't see this coming…"

"Uh…me neither."

"Tao Rei, I really need to thank you. Please, let me-." Right when the on looking crowd could finally let their breath go, they gazed on as the brunette that was just rescued slipped on one of the stray fruits lying around and fall headfirst into the ground.

"…"

"…LADY SUN SHANG XIANG!?"

* * *

"Ta-."

"It was the fruit! The FRUIT! It wasn't my fault! And-and-," Tao Rei sputtered.

"Tao Rei! Calm down!" Ling Tong, whom had just heard of the news upon his return from battle, cried. After hearing about Sun Shang Xiang's injury, and who had done it, he rushed through the castle searching high and low for her. On his way back to the kitchen, he found her hysterically trying to explain herself to a friendly pole.

The man, seeing that she was still frantic, took her by the shoulders and roughly shook her. Rei's eyes fluttered for a few seconds until she realized Tong in front of her, "Gongji, it's you! Did you just make it back? How was it?"

"Geez, weren't you just freaking out about something ELSE just now?" he let go of her, "I came running for you so I could beat some sense into you, but it looks like you've already been killing yourself over it. I leave you alone for a short week, and you manage to beat up Lord Sun Ce's sister!?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized, momentarily looking down, "but I really had no choice! Right after you left me with her, she-."

"Have you seen her since?"

"Well, no, I just don't have the guts to see her…"

"If you're feeling guilty enough to not see her, you must've done something!"

"Gongji~! That's not how it is!" Tao Rei wined. Luckily for her, a man came running up to the two before she had to explain the longwinded scenario. At least, she thought she was lucky until he declared that she was summoned to the main hall to undoubtedly face her charges.

As the man ran back, Rei found her feet glued to the ground.

"Tao Rei…?" Ling Tong asked with some concern. The girl stiffly turned to him with a pale face.

"Gongji, before I die, there is something I have to tell you," she took his hands into hers, "Thank you very much for being my friend for my short-lived adventure. Even if I wasn't able t-."

"You're not going to die!" he yelled at her, "Don't give me a teary eyed goodbye speech!" He turned to the direction of the main hall, and proceeded to drag Tao Rei. "Geez, if it's Sun Ce, he'll either praise you or just give you a slap on the wrist."

"I still don't wanna goooo~!" She struggled against his pull, but ended up just tripping over her feet across the long tiles of the hallway. The two quietly bickered until they reached the massive doors that lead into the heart of the palace. After their mock fighting and joking around, the sudden seriousness sunk into them. The kingdom of Wu was a very relaxed army, but they were equally as surprising. Even if their lord was a softie, he could still be a hardball when needed.

But he was the one that let Tao Rei enter in the first place, wasn't he?

Giving a last reassuring glance at each other, they pushed the entry open. The two were greeted with a musty air and a brilliantly lit room. The room itself would make you feel small, with looming windows and expanding columns, but when the two reached the large throne at the end of it, they felt that the space would crush them on the spot.

Tao Rei was quickly reminded of where she was, and dropped her head in a bow, "You called for me, Lord Sun Ce." As she slowly rose back up, she noticed the man lounging casually in his seat. Next to him stood Sun Shang Xiang herself, but looking perfectly healthy. Tao Rei silently thanked the heavens that Shang Xiang didn't at all look like what the gossip was making it out to be. From as far as she could tell, the girl didn't have a black eye or any other scratches for that matter.

"I'm not one for speeches, so I'll get straight to the point. About your little scuffle with Shang, I have to admit- I was surprised Tao Rei!" Sun Ce's eyebrows rose, "To think someone could actually throw my little sister around. Even when I try to d-_ow!_" He rubbed his arm with loving care. _Did Lady Sun Shang Xiang just punch him…? I didn't even see it._ Tao Rei squinted. The woman standing next to him smiled innocently,

"Continue, brother."

After giving her a warning look, he carried on, "Like I was saying, Shang and I were pretty impressed at your skills. I knew when my sister went to personally call Ling Tong to meeting, she had the intention of testing you out, but you've exceeded our expectations."

"So, I'm…not in trouble?" Tao Rei cautiously asked.

"Haha, of course not. Actually, we were planning to enroll you as a normal soldier under Shang, but due to the outcome," _he must be talking about the 'save'_, "we decided to-."

"Tao Rei!" the princess leapt from her perch.

"Y-yes?" Rei gulped, but not faltering from her approach. Sun Ce just sighed and fell silent, letting his sister continue.

"What you did back there-it convinced me. Tao Rei," she beamed, "Will you be my bodyguard?"

Looking to his side, Ling Tong could tell that his friend was just as shocked as he was. He just hoped he didn't look as dumb as she did at that moment. It really looked like Rei had just been smacked upside the head with some kind of dead animal. Caught in the middle of a ridiculous thought, the girl suddenly answered.

"Yes! Yes I will! It would be an honor!"

The siblings glanced at each other with grins. "Then I guess we should start getting ready," Shang Xiang said. After seeing the confused expression on the girl's face, she explained, "Ah, at the end of the week, we're going to be attacking that Huang Zu again." Tao Rei felt anxious, but extremely excited at the prospect of her first real battle. _What would the rush of battle feel like? Would I be able to do what I'm ordered? _

_How did it actually feel to kill men by the hundreds?_ She hoped it was everything she thought it up to be. For good or bad, she decided, that she couldn't go back on her word now. For the sake of pride and a promise, Tao Rei would be the best warrior she could possibly be, and nothing could deter her from her goal.

* * *

The man stood, overlooking the castle walls. The weather had cleared a little during the week, but the stray clouds threatened rain. Watching as the men marched outside the walls, Gan Ning already felt the adrenaline starting to pump through him. In just a few hours, the air would be dyed with the smell blood and the heat of battle. The screaming, the determination; the only thing that mattered was if you could kill the other guy before he killed you. All that a man needed was his brawns and wit. This was the world Gan Ning was accustomed to. No complicated planning schemes and nothing to distract you.

"You look eager, Xingba." Gan Ning's stream of thoughts was cut short when his lord stood next to him. Huang Zu grew accustomed to his general's silence, and blamed it on the fact that Ning was simply not fond of him. It didn't bother him-Huang Zu didn't take a liking to him either. "I hope you are prepared. As you know," he gave the warrior a side look, "the Wu army is a formidable force."

The ex-pirate knew what he really meant was 'don't screw this one up'. Gan Ning awkwardly nodded. _Ha, as if I'd lose_, he mocked. Apparently the nod he gave was enough for Huang Zu as he decided to leave. Watching his back, the man snarled. _This is my first time I'm actually going up against these Wu guys, but… I'm sure to make it the last. After this battle, don't you ever forget my strength._

* * *

A/N: Thank you guys for the support~! I know how slow this is starting out, and I'm sorry, but starting next chapter, things'll really start to move. This next chapter won't come out for a little while though, sorry. I'm going to be very busy with exams, so-

Please be patient with me~!

R&R always loved~!


	5. A Mask of Rain

A/N: Hey, sorry for the very late update-guess I've been a bit lazy. ; Anyway, things should start being much quicker now~

Hope you enjoy~!

* * *

Tao Rei drove her scythe-like weapon through several men around her. She slightly twitched at the sound. Killing men like this was what she was expecting, but nevertheless, it was something she would only get used to after many many more battles. She grimaced at the splintering noises coming from Ling Tong's direction, but she was glad that he was near. The girl wasn't sure if she'd be able to stand it if she was left alone with Sun Shang Xiang. Not that she didn't like her; the princess just had a very daunting presence. Rei drifted around Shang Xiang, making sure that the girl was safe and content with hacking soldiers from atop her horse. This pace of battle went steady for a long while until a Wu soldier came riding to their direction alarmingly fast.

"Hey-where are you heading?!" Sun Shang Xiang flashed her head at the man. The frantic soldier looked at her with saucer eyes and abruptly stopped. He quickly explained through a coarse voice,

"My lady, I must inform Lord Sun Ce right away-"

"On what?"

"It's General Ling Cao...he has died." Ling Tong's senses flared. Jerking his head at the soldier he barked,

"Where!? At the bridge!?" Before the man could confirm, Tong shoved an apposing soldier and darted towards his father.

"Y-Yes! But General Ling Tong, there's a formidable warrior there and it's flooding with the enemy!"

"Gongji!" Tao Rei cried after him.

"He's already gone-," Shang commented, "We can't afford to run after him. He probably wouldn't listen to us anyway…but he's sure to get killed..." Glancing around at the situation around her, she made a quick decision. "Tao Rei, go grab him-I think he might listen to you." After seeing the hesitation, she added, "I'll be fine. I can handle on my own! GO!" Rei nodded and rushed after Ling Tong. Adrenaline started to wash through her as she approached the bridge resting down the river. As she battled through the dense crowd, she couldn't shake the feeling that something big was going to happen. _If Ling Cao really did die..._

"Agh-!" a muffled coughed escaped Ling Tong. A man across from him had just dealt a good blow to his stomach. Tao Rei quietly gasped to see her friend flown into another soldier. His oppressor suddenly leapt at him, not giving him any time to recover. She quickly intervened, throwing herself in between the two. Swinging her spear, Gan Ning jumped back.

"What, is your girlfriend saving you? Women don't belong on the battlefield, y'kno-" he said, and at the moment she decided to attack. Bracing himself, his daggers locked with her weapon. "Not much for words-"

"Shut up, I don't wish to exchange any words with you," she broke the deadlock. As Gan Ning stumbled backwards, his first impression of the girl in front of him was not very high. _What's this woman doing here? Her skills aren't even that polished…_He spat at the dirt next to his feet. It was his strong belief that a woman's role was either at home or to entertain men-not to fight alongside them.

"Tao Rei, what are you doing!? He's the one that killed my father!" Ling Tong wearily rose.

"You can't handle him by yourself!" the girl spat.

"You're stepping way out of line for your first battle!"

"HA-FIRST battle?! No wonder-"

"SHUT IT" The two cried in unison as they launched at Gan Ning. He threw up his two knives and braced himself. The Ling Tong, Tao Rei pair attacked without holding back. In accordance, Ning shifted through the onslaught and swiped at them. The small three way fight began. If a random soldier on the sideline got in the path of their weapon, then they simply became a casualty. Initially, the battle started with the pair working together, but eventually getting in each other's way as they became blinded with growing hate for the third party. The third party enjoyed every minute of it, until be began to find it a nuisance. As the time dragged on, the three warriors could start feeling the strain on their bodies and none made a notice of it. Tao Rei wondered briefly if it was normal to feel joy every time she made a scratch on such a strong, and annoyingly arrogant, opponent as Gan Ning (sometimes even on Ling Tong by accident).

In the midst of the swirling emotions consuming the three, a war horn abruptly crashed through their thoughts.

Gan Ning venomously glared at his retreating army, all of them yelling about Wu breaking through the castle's defense. The girl paused and snapped back to what was going on around her. The trees, men, sounds, all of it was slowing down as she realized that they had won the battle. Ling Tong disregarded this break as an opportunity to finally put down the man that killed his father. Almost immediately sensing this killer intent, Gan Ning took one lasting look at the two. He cursed at the prospect of leaving a fight unfinished before he darted into the withdrawing mass of soldiers.

Ling Tong was about to break into pursuit, but was called back by his friend. "Gongji, let him go-we won," she said with a remorseful face. She didn't like the man running away either, but logic was finally catching up to her. Gesturing to a face down body that layed a few meters away, she whispered, "and I think you have…other business to attend to now…" The anger that was churning inside him trickled out when he saw his limp father. He slowly walked to him, part of him not wanting to confirm his death. Tao Rei silently observed the man fall to his knees in dismay.

As if on cue, the gloomy clouds that had persevered throughout the battle drizzled down on the two massive armies. People scampered over many of their dead comrades, but were propelled onward with fear for their own lives. Sun Ce thrust his fist in the air in victory as the men surrounding him cheered for the glory of Wu. Sun Shang Xiang smiled as she gazed over the rippling water and into a vision that seemed even closer. Lu Xun welcomed the oncoming downpour with open arms. He let it wash off the adrenaline of battle running through his veins and the guilt surfacing in his thoughts.

…Under the mask of this cleansing rain, a main wept openly in the face of his father.

* * *

"You fools! How were we driven back like that!?" Huang Zu's voice could be heard over the storming rain outside. The generals scattered around the tent shuffled their feet in shame. After reaching a safe distance away from the Wu army, Hunag Zu's forces set up a quickly made camp ground from the little resources they were able to carry. As the lord paused in his lecture, the sounds of canvas flapping in the wind and the downpour of rain filled the space. He slowly inspected the room, "Where's…Xingba?" Su Fei slightly rose his head to confirm that no, Gan Ning was not in the room with them. Right before he started to panic, a gruff voice rang from the entrance.

"What's going on!?" Gan Ning stormed in "Why was the east plank overrun!? They had plenty of men!" Like the rest of the soldiers, he was drenched in rain, mud, and sweat.

"Xingba! Where have you been!? No-More importantly, your plan failed!"

"What-!?"

"Because of your plan, we lost!" Huang Zu roared. The other man was about to yell in retort, but stopped when Huang Zu started quietly laughing to himself. Fingers delicately placed on his forehead, he snickered, "Of course, Ofcourse. This must be punishment. I should have known this was going to happen. This is what I get for taking in such an ungrateful dog!" Gan Ning's sense flared as he quickly snatched the front collar of his lord. Su Fei and the others gasped, but didn't know what to do.

Clenching the man in front of him, Gan Ning growled into this face, "Say that one more time." Huang Zu's surprised expression turned cold,

"What do you think you're doing?" A silence followed. "You best let go of me before I really get upset." He glanced at a few men to his side. These few generals stood up straight and lowered their weapons at Gan Ning. "If you want to keep your position in this army, then let go of me." The ex-pirate gritted his teeth and lowered his eyes.

"Then I'll leave."

"…What was that?"

"Then I'll just leave your pathetic army!" Ning let go of the man, but still clenched his fist. He turned to the entrance when Huang Zu's voice called him to a stop,

"And join that Sun Ce's army!? What makes you think they'll accept you!?"

"…It doesn't matter," he glared over his shoulder, "Anything is better than working under a spineless idiot." Fei on the sidelines stared in disbelief at his friend. He knew he was breaking, but this was just…_too dangerous_. Huang Zu narrowed his eyes,

"I'd like to see you try." Su Fei gazed on as all the other generals made a guarding circle around Gan Ning. Ning assessed the situation. He snarled, _I'm too tired from that fight to fend them off…_As one of them approached him, he submissively let himself be taken.

* * *

Gan Ning loudly sighed and propped his head against the post behind him. Finally giving up on untying himself, he was about to get some sleep when a familiar person entered the small empty tent. "Su Fei, what are you doing here?" he wearily said. The man nervously checked the room over before shakily dropping the ground next to Gan Ning.

"I came to free you," he said, undoing the rope around his wrists.

"Wha…" Gan Ning didn't know what to say.

"I have a horse already prepared for you outside," he jumped up and rushed back to the entrance. Gan Ning followed. When they left, a white horse was standing in the rain, already geared with bags of, what he was sure was food and other provisions of his. Gan Ning knew the risk Su Fei was taking in sneaking him out, so he quickly jumped on the horse and turned to his friend. "If you ride out through that way," Su Fei pointed towards a forested area in the distance, "then you should reach a river. On the other side should be a man waiting for you, and he'll accompany you to Wu."

"What'd you do with the guards?"

"Oh, I…" he shyly looked the other way, "I…told them there was some extra wine at my quarters I didn't want."

Gan Ning smirked, "Thanks, I promise to return the favor one day."

Su Fei laughed, "If you can keep alive long enough." After the two exchanged their farewells, Gan Ning was off. As he rushed away from the camp, the light grew dimmer and dimmer behind him. The downpour spat him in the face as he was guided by only the moonlight. He kept his eyes peeled for the stream, but it was hard to distinguish between the mud and the water. He only realized he was crossing it when his horse suddenly plunged into deep water.

Standing on the other side of the bank was a single man holding a small lantern. As Gan Ning approached him, he could make out the rough features on the man's face. Illuminated under the firelight, he could see very pale skin that seemed to be fixed in a serious, but worn out expression.

"Gan Ning?" The man questioned. He nodded,

"Your name?"

"Lu Meng." The two waited a moment, but neither weren't much for words at the moment. Lu Meng pulled on his reigns and his horse sped forward as the other ran after him through the storm. The older man started to lecture Gan Ning on how he should act when they reached the Wu main camp, but all he could do was wonder about how strong this army was. _Oh-wait,…_he realized

_That kid and the girl are there, too._


End file.
